Mikel here from the Vancouver, BC area. Gender Male.Make my living building homes. Presently on #95,96 and 97 right now.

Served apprenticeship with Canwest Interiors where we did large scale renovations and in house cabinets. Then it was on to Fineart Woodworking where we build literally anything and everything.We build furniture, manufactured mill-work, timber frame structures, restored wooden boats, build curved and elliptical doors, mantels, cabinets and many other items. Everything was done in house and we had to see the project through from start to finish.But due to severe allergies I had to look at getting out of the shop. Can remember the 18' sliding door being open just a few inches andthe sun's rays beaming in and seeing all of the saw dust airborne. An opportunity arose and was able to get out of the shop and started doing millwork and cabinet installation on sites. One of the builders for whom I was doing a cabinet installation (Poggenpohl) coaxed me to leave the installation of cabinets business and joinhim in the building of homes.

Was skeptical at first but had nothing to loose. This gave me an opportunity to put my skills as a cabinetmaker and the days of Canwest to use in building homes. 25 years later and I still love building homes. Went on my own 19 years ago. Second best decision that I have ever made, building peoples dream homes.Building the best possible product and spending their money doing so. The homes that we build typically take between 1.5 years to 4 years to build.

Oh yeah, best decision was marrying my Wife, the boss.....

Found out about Festool after hiring a German carpenter many years ago who used this brand almost exclusively.Back then no one sold Festool in Canada, luckily now there are several dealers and now own several of their tools.

Hands on for me now is for my own place and on an Island retreat that is ongoing.Am a tool junkie, love great quality tools and Festool fits the bill and love the dust collection feature.

In my world I have a saying that I still use to this day that I got from my boss at Fineart.

"Never enough time to do the job right but always enough time to do the job twice"

Thank you Seth Forgot to post that FOG is a daily site that I visit. It's an addiction... and a good one.Love to read about new ideas, the videos are very helpful and there is always something to learn.Take care.

I took a look at the poll and to me it looked like the voting was locked somehow. Try again. If you don't see any check boxes to the left but do see remove vote to the right then you have already voted. In that case you can click remove vote and then choose the options again that best describe you.

I'm new here, just started a few posts tonight. I am awaiting arrival of a TS 55 REQ at my local Woodcraft. I did post to the thread "what was your first purchase?" It was a pair of clamps! $40. Will probably never spend that little again if the receipt has the word Festool on it.

I am close to retiring, so I am gearing up to do some serious woodworking. I've had a pretty complete wood shop for years, but now I am rethinking some tool choices. I was going to upgrade my contractor style saw with a SawStop, but have delayed that decision in favor of a track saw. I started building cabinets for my shop, and the breaking down of plywood will be done with a track saw. I may still get that SawStop, but I suspect a few Festool purchases will come first.

Over the years I've made furniture, lots of "craft" items like cutting boards made from laminated segments of different hardwoods. I've done lots of carpentry work in the home and I am currently remodeling our study. A couple years ago I bought a lathe and I've made about 40 pens, a handful of wine stoppers, and a number of reversible screwdrivers employing segmented handles. (I buy the plastic handled reversible screwdrivers from Home Depot and cut off the plastic handle and replace it with a turned handle.)

I work part time at a product development company, and build a lot of custom products. I am fortunate to have access to several CNC routers (a ShopBot desktop model, and a large model that will take 4x8 sheet goods.). I suspect that I'll be building my own large MFT at some point using the large ShopBot to mill the top. I also use an Epilog laser, which is an amazing tool for unique woodworking projects.

Welcome to the forum! Once you get your hands on the TS55-REQ please let us know your impressions. It's interesting to read different perspectives, especially when a different workflow is involved (taking the tool to the work piece vs taking the workpiece to the tool). We are here to help if you have any questions!

First off, I'm new to FOG. It's been said that the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. Well ... I have Festool Acquisition Syndrome. It's much like Nikon Acquisition Syndrome, only the toys are heavier and they're green instead of yellow.

I don't have an extensive background in carpentry and woodworking, but I spent a fair amount of time growing up in my Dad's woodshop, picking up tips and skills from him. He's been a professional woodworker for 30+ years and currently specializes in furniture restoration.

At this stage, I'd describe myself as a rusty hobbyist who is looking to get back into it in order better outfit my home with many more and better organization options. My first project is to build out a copy of the Paulk table so that I can then work on building cabinets for the garage, laundry room, and some built-in shelving for my office.

I've spent the last three months building my wish list and (finally) pulled the trigger on some new Festool gear. I ended up getting:

(First purchase)TS55REQCT26

(Second purchase)OF1400 with the LR32 kit and a 1400 Holey railRO125

(Third purchase)Carvex 420 (cordless)

I'm stilling eyeballing a Domino, but I think I should wait until I get a little bit of sawdust on each of these tools first.

BTW: Bob Marino is awesome. I made my first two purchases with him. Everything arrived in a timely manner and was amazingly well packed. My wife had to ask me to move out to the garage for an hour while I stomped out all the bubble wrap like a little kid.

I just received my Christmas present. (Paid for it myslf but the present was that THE BOSS did not complain. )I finally weakened for the Domino 500 and the Systainer full of the domino tennons.Got it from Uncle Bob.

There was so much Bubble Wrap that if the box had come thru any flood areas, they could have strapped it to the underside of the truck and floated across any washouts. Now, I just have to learn how to operate my new toy. Looking forward to the new skills involved.Tinker

I stumbled on this site a year ago, when I was looking for something about Erika by Maffel. Anyway I do not know English well. I apologize for that but it will not prevent me from occasional contributing. I would like to say that I really like the fans of group here. From pure enthusiast brand Festool to heavy professionals I belong to the first category. I started renting a modest space about 90 square meters, where i am starting to build my work. Except practical things for the household i got the ambition to produce more atypical shape design pieces. Despite my language skills I will try to speak throught my photos instead of writing. I will be grateful for all of yours reactions.

Hi everyone! My name is Holt and I am a simple carpenter. I work at an exhibit shop in Greenville, SC and have experience doing residential cabinet installs. I've been working on my carpentry skills and have decided to purchase a TS55/CT26 combo as well as a Rotex150! I'd like to start building furniture on my own in the next year and I believe Festool will assist me well.

Just joined a couple days ago and trying to jump in. Self employed professional carpenter/woodworker for 12 years. Mostly historic style and restoration, I believe design was perfected a long time before any of us were around.

I came up under old school New England hardasses, and learned to do an awful lot with hand tools first, and got a terrific education in scribing and fitting. Still work a lot with reclaimed material, 18th and 19th century flooring, paneling, etc, and reproducing it for newer work.

It's been fun bringing in modern technology with traditional joinery, and some hybrid techniques, like gauging varied thickness stock (ie rough sawn back with a hand planed face) but using an HL 850 as a rabbet plane. Track saws for fitting tapered 200 year old flooring.

Lots of built ins, period paneling, one offs, and general house carpentry and joinery. Some exterior work like mahogany decks and cedar porches, timber frame barns and structural restoration. Do a little bit of everything with houses, I like variety and challenges.

1000 sq ft shop, about to scoop up another 500 sq ft adjacent, mix of stationary shop machines and festool as well as a good collection of working historic tools. Prefer to be a woodworker more than a machine operator.

I'm a hobbyist that writes software for a living. In the past year or so I've started buying tools to build some workbenches for the garage so my son and I would have a place to tinker. We recently bought another house and I decided to tackle some bigger projects. My 1st project is redoing all of the closets in the house. I discovered Festool while watching some tutorials on YouTube and immediately bought the TS55 REQ along with a number of other tools. I just wish I had discovered Festool before making some of my earlier purchases. This forum has been a great resource and I want to thank all of the contributors.

-Travis

Logged

redtailvt

No boo hooing, I am a dis-abled veteran in a wheelchiar. I am doing all the work I can on my new ADA house and when it came to making the cabinets for the kitchen i accidentally discovered 2 things. I really get great joy from the finer details in woodworking and that Festool's products make it safer and easier for me to produce quality things. The freedom to work on my own especially with the track saw is priceless. I can't lug a huge piece of ply nor can i cut a perfectly straight line due to tremors form nerve damage but i can lay down the rail, drop the saw in and literally roll forward in my chair along with the saw. I have to laugh reading this as it must be a sight to see but bottom line, never give up and thank you Festool for continuing to allow me to live with grace and pride.

Hey redtailvet,My hat goes off to you. You have a great attitude.Back in '55, I had an operation on my torn up knee. It was service connected, so i was treated at the VA hospital in West Haven, CT. I was in with a whole crowd of guys, many had been in korea, as had I. They were a happy bunch, and while in recovery (in those days, they kept us around the hospital for a few days for what nowadays, they kick you out the same day. While I was there, I met an EX-GI who was a little older and had been injured working on high voltage electric lines on a civilian job after he had gotten out of the service. He had lost both arms from the burn and had been amputated to 1" nubbins on each arm. That was when a lot that was being done on prosthetics was more on the experimental side of a good thing. They were having a lot of trouble with fitting as the knobs they had left him with were actually too short for any attachment. Even tho he was left with a big problem, he was very upbeat and good humored more than should have been expected.

A day before i was to go home, I found out he was supposed to go back to Brooklyn Navy Hospital for new measuring. For whatever the reason, he could not get a ride the day he should go, or maybe not back, whatever. Since I felt I could be available, i offered to help out and next day, the first thing I did when i got home was to hop in my car and head back to the hospital and transported my friend to Brooklyn. I was totally surprised at what i saw down there. even tho I had been a combat medic in Korea, i had never seen so many amputees with any where from a hand to four appendages missing. There were maby 15 or 20 amputees in that ward. I don't say i felt sorry for the nurses on that ward. I don't think there was one in the lot who was unhappy, but they sure had to be aware of what was going on around them. Those guys were, even for a bunch of GI's, the craziest and most happy go lucky bunch. They were driving those nurses absolutely crazy with their antics.

I am sure there must have been some problems when they got out in the world, but they sur were manufacturing some wild times in that ward. I remember especially one vet who was quadruple amputee. The VA had set up an Oldsmobile for him to drive. he would climb into that car and pull a lever to lock himself into the driver's seat. there was a valve bank in front of him not unlike the valve controls on some of the construction machinery i operated a few years later. I don't recall if he used foot pedals for braking, but the car was automatic. In those days, the "Auto trannys" were not so snappy as they are today and he was complaining that he could not spin the wheels as he would take off with engine roaring.

I did manage to converse with several of those vets before I had to return my friend back to Connecticut. That day was an eyeopener for me.

I'm glad for you that you have found a way to keep yourself busy and have such an upbeat attitude.Tinker

Logged

Wayne H. Tinker

redtailvt

Indeed you have spent time amongst us, LOL. First welcome home and thank you. The attitude is pretty similar too, what they gonna do send us to Korea:) I don't say "it is what it is" as that's throwing in the towel. It is what You make it, no pun intended. I was blessed to have a incredible people and friends thru out my journey and too this day. If only I had been a General my pension would allow me to buy more but I'm happy to save my pennies and get the best.

I once gave a talk to guys heading overseas to let them know that there is life after. Somewhere along the way I decided to take my chair of a "cliff", basically blew the thing apart and almost wet my pants laughing.It was awesome and defiantly lightened the mood:)

Sys4 with cheese sandwich, a small pork pie with Tabasco sauce, a nice bottle of dry, vintage Prosecco and three reusable ice packs. Olives with pimento and a capon, roast in Dijon mustard. Several slices of fresh pineapple, a scale model of the Eiffel tower made from noodles, black forest gateau and a gingham table cloth for the MFT-3. A block of Parmesan and a Stanley 2" chisel for grating.Sys3 with a half bottle of La Fée Absinthe, a spoon and vodka-soaked mint with Rothenberger blow-torch.125 year old balsamic vinegar in spray bottle.Ibuprofen and a pair of handcuffs. 2 loaves, 5 (very) small fishes, some bread, broken. A goblet of blood-red wine, a hammer... nails

I guess I am a professional wood worker but sadly most of my time is spent making sure we have work/bidding, getting projects we have done on time, getting our vendors are paid and making sure we get paid from our customers. Thus is the life of a shop manager.

Greetings- My primary workshop power tool is the router. My router table setup is pretty solid (PC 7518, Incra PRL-v2, Incra LS-25, Wonderfence) but I "needed" to upgrade my plunge router. I tried getting by with my single-speed fixed-base Craftsman and cheapo pawn-shop routers with what you might consider "predictable" results. About a year ago, I bought the DeWalt DWP611 fixed/plunge kit and the dust collection attachments. It's a pretty capable little router, especially for the price.

I picked up a used/older Festool jigsaw some months ago and have been very pleased with it. I've been very curious about the OF1400 but the price... oy. Well, the same guy that sold me my 1st Festool sold me an OF1400, a guide rail, and a pair of clamps yesterday for a nice price that I couldn't refuse. What an amazing plunge router. It just needs a little cleanup/TLC.

So far, I mostly build speaker enclosures and plaques but I'm learning how to put my Incra positioner to better use for doing box/dovetail joinery. I'd like to start making furniture and eventually replace Pottery Barn as my wife's primary source.

I didn't have the advantage of growing up with a woodworker to apprentice under. I'm learning a lot via YouTube (Matthias Wandel, Frank Howarth, AskWoodMan, WoodWhisperer, and many others continue to be my teachers. What a fantastic contribution to the craft all those people make. Books are very helpful too, but watching someone show you how is ideal.

Someday when I get some time back I'll get back into flying R/C aircraft.

Exactly! I get paid to do woodworking, quite well. I consider my work "studying" to be better every chance I get. I used to be a construction worker. Meaning i constructed things other people designed. I study about trees, different techniques, finishes, design and just about anything I can. I CAN do plumbing, elec, tile, drywall, paint...heck, i can even install hvac. But i'm shooting for expert in wood working as I lay on my death bed....if there's something after this life, we can decide if I made it or not! (not likely)